Meet Our Veterinarians

Crossroads Animal Care Center is staffed with three veterinarians with over 30 years of combined experience to provide exceptional care for pet of Woodbridge and surrounding areas. If you have any questions about our doctors, feel free to contact us at (703) 497-7387.

Melani French, Lead Veterinarian

Dr. French knew she wanted to be a veterinarian since she was four years old and has worked in the veterinary field since 2005 as a veterinary assistant, receptionist, and then as a doctor! She graduated in the top ten of her class with her DVM degree from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) at Virginia Tech after completing her undergraduate degree (Biological Sciences) at Hampton University in Hampton, VA.

Dr. French grew up in Manassas, VA and returned there post-graduation to serve as a small animal general practitioner as well as a relief surgeon before setting her sights on Woodbridge and joining Crossroads in November of 2016. Her professional interests include advanced diagnostic imaging such as radiology and ultrasound, surgery, and internal medicine. When she manages to have some free time, she enjoys spending time mentoring and coaching youth groups and hanging out with her family, friends, and her 2 shih-tzu mixes, Tanner and Jake! Dr. French will quickly admit that she has a soft spot for WFDs—white fluffy dogs—and she can’t wait to meet yours!

Kent Olson, Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Kent Olson founded Crossroads Animal Care Center in 1998 and has been practicing veterinary medicine in Northern Virginia since 1986. As a young boy, he always had an interest in animals, behavior, and medicine, so becoming a veterinarian was a clear choice for him. He earned his DVM from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech (VMRCVM).

His favorite part of working at Crossroads Animal Care Center is working with a team of doctors and staff who share his mission of helping pets stay healthy. As both our leading veterinarian and medical director, Dr. Olson has a special interest in ultrasound and has completed over 10 advanced courses, accumulating over 200 hours of continuing education in ultrasound. One of the most memorable experiences of his career was when he received a call from the State Department in which the caller said, “We have a situation here. The queen of Spain (Queen Sofia) is here, and her dog is ill.

Although he has accomplished a great deal in his veterinary career, his greatest accomplishment is his wonderful family. He is happily married to Delane and has four children. He also has a German Shorthaired Pointer named Charlie, a cat named Oscar, and a guinea pig named Koach. In his spare time, he likes to travel, go salt water fishing, scuba dive, and work on home improvement projects.

Christopher Neff, Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Christopher Neff has been an associate veterinarian with us since March of 2011. A graduate of Clemson University, and he earned his DVM from Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine in 1990, where he stayed on as an associate professor prior to going into private practice. At Crossroads, he also serves as an adjunct professor for the Northern Virginia Community College and mentors past and current candidates of the school’s Licensed Veterinary Technician Program. He shares his home with his wife and two children as well as their two dogs, three cats, a bird, two fish, and a horse.

Dr. Shahinde Frederick, Associate Veterinarian

Dr. Frederick is a native Washingtonian. For as long as she can remember, she has always wanted to be a veterinarian. She was taught from a very young age by her mother to be loving and compassionate to all living things. She first began helping animals by assisting her mother with feeding feral cats in their neighborhood. Her desire to help all animals soon blossomed into rescuing a vast array of animals from dogs and cats to pigeons, mice, turtles, rabbits, squirrels, and ducklings. Dr. Frederick’s very first pets included a very loving dog named Angel and a very adorable cat named Choopie. This dynamic duo helped to teach her that the bond between an owner and a pet is an unbreakable one that should be forever cherished and respected.

Dr. Frederick is interested in both small and large animal medicine. She has assisted in trapping feral cats and taking them to the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society Spay and Neuter Clinic and the Washington Capital Area Spay and Neuter Center. She spent her summers during college volunteering for the United States Park Police Horse Mounted Unit located in Rock Creek Park and Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center located in Leesburg, Virginia.

Dr. Frederick received her undergraduate degree, a B.A. in Biology, from Amherst College. She received her V.M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 2013. After graduation, Dr. Frederick moved to Virginia and has worked as a general practitioner before joining the Crossroads’ team in March of 2018. Her professional interests include surgery, internal medicine, shelter medicine, and working closely with rescue organizations. She is eager to join Crossroads Animal Care Center because working alongside such a compassionate, professional, and devoted team will help her grow as both a veterinarian and as an individual.Dr. Frederick enjoys spending her free time with family and friends, and helping her mother care for feral cats.